Mill



NOV. 27, 1945. F, A BEATTY 2,3899888 MILL Filed Oct. 12, 1945 /a?4, da?

////\////// www@ @,fmafy/f/W Patented Nov. 27, 1945 MILL Floyd A. Beatty, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Treadwell Engineering Company, Easton, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application (Pctober 12, 1943, Serial No. 505,985

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to mills for shap-V ing metallic objects by the application f Working or forging pressures while such objects are in heated and plastic condition. Y

l Mills for shaping such metallic objects, such as mills for rolling sheets, bars, rails, structural members and the like are universally provided Ywith work-supporting tables upon which the 'elongated series ofy rollers being so supported that their axes are in substantially a horizontal plane and the mill being at one end of the series. Conventionally, when the shaping means is a rolling mill there will be a work-supporting table on each side and each of these work-supporting tables will be positioned above a pitfor receiving scale falling from the work.

As is well known practically all operations involving the deformation of heated metallic objects by rolling or forging pressures, and which result in the prolonged exposure of such objects to the air while in heated condition, result in the formation of scale :on the surfaces ofv such objects. Quantities of scale become detached as the pieces of Work move over the work support and fall into a scale pit below, passing downwardly between the individual rollers or other supporting elements of the work support. Here tofore it has been common practice to permit the falling scale to accumulate in the pit until a substantial body exists and to then clean the pit manually with the aid of suitable tools, including, in some instances, water jets. This method of scale removal is costly, slow and laborious and it is a primary purpose of the invention to coinbine, with such mill or other metal deforming instrumentaiity, a work support provided with means for the automatic collection and removal of scale.

Such means may conveniently comprise an automatically operating conveyor positioned below each work support associated with the metal dee forming instrumentality, the conveyor receiving the scale falling through the work support and removing it in a continuous manner, preferably depositing it in a bucket which may be removed from time to time as by means of a crane, the scale being thus transported in sizeable batches to a point of ultimate consumption or disposal. There is a substantial saving effected where the invention is employed, particularly in the amount of labor requiredin the removal of the scale, the cost of removal being naturally vconsiderably reduced. Where the invention is employed the transfer of scale from the vicinity of the place of formation to the point of ultimate useor disposal is very greatly facilitated, the scale being accumulated until avconsiderable body is at hand, whichbody may be removed when found convenient with the aid of a crane or the like and, furthermore, the scale pits are kept substantially clear of scale at all times.

ln the accompanying drawing one embodiment ofthe invention is illustrated by way of example and one skilled in the art will appreciate that minor changes in the design or arrangement of the component elements of the invention may be made in adapting the invention for use with mills of this character,

In the drawing:

Figure l is a partial plan view of portion of a rolling mill equipped with the invention, the work-supporting table having beenomitted in order that the scale conveying means located in the scale pit might be more clearly perceived;

Figure 2 is a section on line 2 2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a section on line '3 3 of Figure 2, upon a somewhat larger scale,

Generally speaking the invention comprises a i means, indicated at l a, for the shaping of heated metallic objects by the application of working or forging pressures, at least one work support, generally indicated at Il, portion of a second work support being shown in Figures 1 and 2, and scale removal mechanism positioned below the work support, this lmechanism being generally indicated at l2 in the drawing.

The showing of the metal shaping means l0 is diagrammatic only and this means may comprise any form of mill or the like for acting upon heated metallic objects and the use of which ordinarily results in the formation of scale on such objects because of exposure of the surfaces thereof to the air while in heated condition. The work support ll in the modification of the invention set forth by way of example comprises an elongated series of rollers, the axes of which are disposed in parallelism and substantially in a Common horizontal plane. VThese rollers i3 have reduced necks which are supported in bearings li mounted upon parallel beams I5 or the like, the beams being supported upon the inwardly extending walls I 6 of the scale pit, the outer longitudinally extending walls of which are indicated at Il. The foundation for the mill is indicated at I8. It will be understood that this foundation may be formed in any suitable manner and likewise that the masonry structure comprising the wall l1 and partitions l5 of the scale pit may be constructed in any suitable man ner. Likewise the work support Il may comprise either a series of rollers such as shown, a series of discs, or stationary Work-supporting members.

In the form of the invention disclosed each of the rollers I3 has a prolongation or extension at one end upon which is fixed a bevel gear 20, the teeth of which mesh, respectively, with those of a bevel gear 2| axed upon shaft 22 extending longitudinally of the work support. may be rotated in either direction by suitable power means so that the rollers I3 may be rotated simultaneously to advance a piece of -workv toward the mill Il) or to move the work in the opposite direction. As previously stated the details of the work support may be greatly varied without departing from the invention, but in every instance it will be so designed and constructed that scale which becomes detached from the work moving over the work support may fall freely downwardly between work-supporting elements.

Immediately below each work support II is a chute 23 the open upper end of which is sumciently large to receivaall of the scale which falls through the work support l I and which serves as a guide to insure that falling scale eventually reaches and comes to rest upon the upper surface of the upper reach of the conveyor belt indicated at 25, the lower or discharge port f the chute 23 being slightly smaller in area than the upper reach of the conveyor which it directly overlies. The conveyor belt 25 is endless and is principally carried by drums 26 and 21 supported for rotation about parallel axes, although additional means for supporting the upper reach of the belt may be provided if found to be necessary or desirable. Drum 26 is preferably an idler drum and drum 21 is driven, the axle 28 of this .drum being connected by a belt or chain 29 to a driving motor 30 through a speed reduction gearing diagrammatically illustrated at 3|.

The belt or apron 25 is of all metal construction so as Anot to be destroyed .or injured by falling scale in highly heated condition, but the details Yof rconstruction of the conveyor belt comprise no portion of the present invention and need not be illustrated or specically described. The belt 25 will be moved slowly, in the normal operation of the mechanism so that its upper and lower reaches, respectively, move `in the directions indicated by the arrows A andB (Figure 2) and any scale falling upon the upper reach will thus fall from the belt 25 Where that belt passes around the drum 21.

A suitable receptacle may be placed at the point of discharge of belt 25 to receive the scale but, preferably, a second conveyor of generally similar construction is provided for receiving the falling scale at this point, elevating the same and `moving 'it laterally, and dropping it into a bucket such as indicated at 32 in Figures 1 and 3, conveniently located to one side of the actual scale pit.

This second conveyor comprises the metallic endless apron 35 mounted upon drums 35 and 31, drum 31 being driven by means of a motor 38 to which it is connected by means of a chain or belt 3E! and speed reducing gearing 40. Apron 35 is actuated lin such direction that its upper reach moves as indicated by the arrow C in Figure 3 so that scale passing over and dropping from its left-hand end (Figure 3), will fall into bucket 32, any suitable chute or hopper being provided to insure that all of the scale thus delivered by the conveyor actually reaches .the scale bucket. By utilizing a second conveyor, disposed transversely of the first conveyor, scale may be collected in a scale bucket at a point which may be very conveniently reached from above by crane hooks so that the removal of the scale is facilitated. In every instance, however, the second or transverse conveyor need not be employed, particularly when it is possible to prolong or extend the primary conveyor l2.

Having thus described theinvention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters VPatent is:

Mechanism of the type described comprising the combination with means for shaping metallic objects by the application of working or forging pressures thereto While the work is heated and in plastic condition, a work support-,adjacent said means for supporting work for movement in a generally horizontal path toward or away from said means, said support comprising spaced work supporting members between which scale which becomes detached from thework may fall, a chute below said work support, having a scalereceiving opening at its upper end which is coextensive in area with the work support and a `smaller scale discharging opening .at its lower end, and conveyor means positioned below the discharge opening of the chute for .receiving all of the scale falling through said work support and chute and continuously removing the same to a point of disposal.

FLOYD A. BEATIY. 

